Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Bryan left on Friday, the 13th (a little scary!) for his 3rd deployment and 2nd to Afghanistan. Last time he was the Operations Officer for a joint services team and this time he is a battery commander, which is a lot different. I know that he will do a great job and his 100+ soldiers couldn't be in better hands!Marlie & I spent most of the morning at his battery, but Bryan was so busy that we didn't get much last minute quality time with him. We enjoyed the little bit we got though and can't wait until he and his guys are back here again!A quick picture of us right before the guys marched away.

I've been experiencing technical difficulties for the last week so I haven't been able to post any blogs. Hopefully things are close to working right again!

We had Marlie's 3rd Birthday Party on the 7th of this month. There were a lot of pictures to go through so I decided to make things easy on myself and just share one. Her birthday isn't until this coming weekend, but we wanted to do a party before Bryan left. Marlie went back and forth between Dora and Mickey/Minnie Mouse but she ultimately decided on her Disney friends. I was glad! We had the party at a clubhouse/meeting room on post that has a huge playground outside. The kids in our neighborhood are so used to the playground in front of our house, that this was a nice change for them. Marlie enjoyed having the afternoon be all about her! I'm sure we'll do something more low key on her actual birthday this weekend though.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Most people know that I'm a reality TV junkie. This past Monday I was looking forward to the premiere of the new show Bachelor Pad. As soon as the show started, I noticed one of the ladies was wearing a Stella & Dot necklace. That was fun to see, but I was so excited to see even more Stella & Dot as the episode went on! Here are some of the ladies from the show in their lovely Stella & Dot jewelry!Don't forget! I am looking to book shows for the rest of August and September (in GA or KY/TN). This is a great chance to have a girls night in (or morning brunch or happy hour!) and earn some FREE jewelry! Let me know if you'd like me to come hold a trunk show with you! Nikki in the Garden Party Necklace

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

We try to do some family pictures around this time every year since our anniversary is in July and Marlie's birthday is in August. Our original photographer had to cancel at the last minute due to a family emergency so that made me panic a little. Thankfully, we were able to find someone else that could squeeze us in on our last weekend together.

Monday, August 09, 2010

On 23 July, Bryan's battalion had their St Barbara's Ball. Many of the young soldiers and their wives had never attended a military ball so it was important for us to have a fun night for them - especially with the deployment coming up.Me with my fabulous volunteers!

Bryan & some of his soldiers

Bryan and 3 of his NCOs received the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara Award. "The Honorable Order of Saint Barbara recognizes those individuals who have demonstrated the highest standards of integrity and moral character; displayed an outstanding degree of professional competence; served the United States Army or Marine Corps Field Artillery with selflessness; and contributed to the promotion of the Field Artillery in ways that stand out in the eyes of the recipient's seniors, subordinates and peers, alike."

Myself and another of our FRG volunteers received the Molly Pitcher Award."The Artillery Order of Molly Pitcher recognizes individuals who have voluntarily contributed in a significant way to the improvement of the Field Artillery Community."

Sunday, August 08, 2010

I'm coming to Georgia and bringing my jewelry! I will be available to do a trunk show anytime between 28 August and 8 September. I would love to have a show while I'm in the state (I'll pretty much travel anywhere within a few hours of Greensboro), so let me know if you'd like some free jewelry!

Host a Trunk Show, gab with your girlfriends, shop couture designs that you won’t find in any retail store and experience Stella & Dot’s exceedingly personal service. I will shower you with attention, share style tips and help you and your friends shop our irresistible jewelry, all while you enjoy some much needed girl time!

The average hostess receives $250 in FREE jewelry and shops more at half off! Until August 31, we are having Hostess Bonus Days! You can get an additional $50 in FREE jewelry!

Frequently Asked QuestionsQ: Where and when are Trunk Shows held?A: Trunk Shows can be held at home, in the office, during the day or in the evening. Anytime that works for you and your guests!

Q: What kind of set up do I need to host a Trunk Show?A: Set up couldn't be easier! You don’t need champagne and a chocolate fountain- our trunk shows are casual, swing by for style, 1-2 hours events. Your Stylist will just need a table to display the jewels and maybe a hand mirror or two. A dining room table or a kitchen bar makes the perfect base for a Stella & Dot display.

Q: How many people can I invite to my Trunk Show?A: We love trunk shows big and small. Our Stylists commonly conduct trunk shows for 8-10, as often as they style gatherings.

Thursday, August 05, 2010

On July 16th, I had my Stella & Dot Launch Party here at home. The guests were mainly my girlfriends from my neighborhood so it was basically like a girls night in for us. There's no formal presentation so we spent the evening talking and trying on jewelry! My jewelry samples

A few pieces from the Little Girls line

Capsule Collection

Rachel Necklace

Clover Cuff and Stackable Deco Rings

Garden Party Chandelier Earrings

Charm Display

My M initial charm and chain

Tiffany trying on the Garden Party Chandelier Earrings and Belle Fleur Ring

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

When we got back from Florida, we had about a week left in Georgia for leave. Bryan has been really wanting to go to a Braves game and we were glad we got a chance to go to one with some friends.

We were even able to squeeze in a quick trip to Macon to meet our newest cousin, Sawyer. Of course, Marlie & Aiden just wanted to play together the whole time.

On July 3rd, Bryan & I went up to Atlanta for the Peachtree Road Race the next morning. We picked up our race packets and got some takeout from Maggiano's. We spent the evening relaxing in our room at the Ritz-Carlton. Our room was also high enough up that we had a good view of different fireworks shows around town. This huge flag was at the starting line. I did a lot of thinking about how blessed I am that I live in a country where I can throw on a tank top, shorts, and running shoes and go out for a run on a Sunday morning. There are so many people (especially women) who aren't able to enjoy such simple pleasures.

Waiting for our wave to start!

My tortoise that Tara did for me, and of course I had to show off my Army wife pride on Independence Day!

After the race we went back to Greensboro so we could spend the afternoon and evening at the lake. Marlie had a blast on Pop's boat!

Bryan & Avery

M, Jared & Jessica

Getting ready to watch the fireworks!

Poor M couldn't keep her eyes open when the flash went off!

We had a busy but fun holiday weekend. We came back to Campbell on the 5th so that we could jump back into our routine.